


The Long And Winding Road

by Starlord_451



Series: Kliego Week 2020 [1]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Ben Ships It, Canon Divergent, Discrimination, Drug Addiction, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Incest, Kliego Week 2020, M/M, Mentioned past overdose, Past Suicide Attempt, Pining, Pre Canon, Racist Language, Suicidal & destructive tendencies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-25
Updated: 2020-10-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 17:06:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27190147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starlord_451/pseuds/Starlord_451
Summary: “Just tell him how you feel, Klaus”OrThe one where Diego is having a hard time because of his feelings while Klaus flirts his insecurities away and Ben just can’t take any more pining from these two idiots.Kliego Week 2020 - Day 1: Pre Canon & Canon Divergent
Relationships: (past) Diego Hargreeves/Eudora Patch, Ben Hargreeves & Klaus Hargreeves, Diego Hargreeves/Klaus Hargreeves
Series: Kliego Week 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1984837
Comments: 4
Kudos: 98
Collections: Kliego Week 2020





	1. Leaving

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone!  
> This is my first fic ever, so sorry for any kind of mistake, please let me know in the comments if there is something wrong, or anything that needs to be modified!  
> I also apologize in advance for any mistakes concerning the language as I’m not English. 
> 
> So a few warnings - it's in the tags, but I want to make sure that it's clear before anyone reads: there will be a racial slur in the first chapter of the fic!

**2014**

Diego Hargrevees was no coward.

That was a fact, a foundation on which he built the majority of his life, pre and post Umbrella Academy.

He knew it very well and he made sure that everyone else knew too.

That’s why he liked keeping his fears close to him, hidden from view. _Can’t be vulnerable, if you can’t see them, they don’t exist._

That’s also why he fancied himself as a lonely wolf. Mind you, he had always loved the idea of having his own team to lead, no Luther, no Reginald Hargreeves, no tortures or condescending stares, just him and people who believed in him enough to follow his orders.

That’s what he looked for when he began his training in the police academy.

At first, everything was perfect: everybody was talking about how they could use his abilities for good, how he would rise in the ranks of the police and maybe become the youngest captain of the city. _Hear that, Luther?_

Of course, being this popular amongst his trainers and superiors didn’t help with making friends. Diego was a nice enough guy to be around so he still did have his group of trustworthy fellow trainees, but they weren’t many. They were still a lot better than anything Luther would ever be, that’s for sure.

And then there was Eudora.

From the moment he saw her, he knew he was done for. She was cute and fought like a lioness, he couldn’t ask for anything better. _Green eyes looking at him, bright and provoking, daring him to break the rules for him just one more time._ Shush, brain. Eudora was perfect. She was also the best way to clear his head and start anew. Forget all that happened under Hargreeves’ roof.

This peace he had found outside of the Umbrella Academy didn’t last long. Nothing good ever did and it seemed like everything he had built with his hands in the outside world was slowly crumbling apart, piece by piece, starting with _her_.

Both Diego and Eudora could see that their relationship wasn’t going to have a future. They were too different and Diego, even though it was very hard to admit, wasn’t all that desperate to make it work. She deserved better.

They were civil to each other after their breakup, both putting their job at the academy above their petty private problems.

Then, Sergeant John Kelly came and his personal hell began.

Diego knew that the Umbrella Academy and the fame that came with it had protected him from these things and he was probably naïve enough to think that he would never have to face this kind of injustice in his life. Oh boy, was he wrong.

He understood from the second Sergeant Kelly eyed him down what was going to happen. It didn’t make it any less awful.

“So, you are the incredible Diego Hargreeves. Who would have thought?” he leaned towards him, getting too close for comfort “I’m used to putting spics like you behind bars, not giving them promotions.”

Diego he had been so riled up that he got suspended for 3 months for almost assaulting a superior officer. He didn’t want to make an appeal as some of his fellow trainees suggested: he just wanted to forget about it. He was sure that he would have forgotten it quicker if he had actually managed to punch the racist bastard.

So he came back to academy only to find the prospect of a wonderful career in the police completely stumped because fucking Kelly found him to be too much of a “hothead” and made it his mission to ensure that he wouldn’t succeed in the academy. He didn’t think he could hate someone as much as his father, but there you go.

He had never known a shame like this. And what made him even more ashamed was that he would have quitted the force a lot earlier were it not for Eudora.

He knew she was facing the same discrimination. And she did it with her head held high, the best of marks in the academy and a brilliant career ahead of her. Diego had never admired someone more than her.

Of course, it didn’t end here. He was already struggling to understand the use and the benefits of “following protocol”, getting more and more reprimands from his superiors thus confirming Kelly’s judgments. He thought that it couldn’t get worse.

And yet it did.

His life in the police academy was over the moment Vanya’s book was published.

He only managed a day of training at the academy after that before quitting for good. A day spent with people laughing at him openly and behind his back, imitating his old stutter whenever he talked, calling him by his number. It was too much. Too much.

When Eudora came to ask him why he quit, he told her a half truth about the system being too worried about paperwork rather than putting criminals behind the bars. She looked a bit offended. He couldn’t care less.

That’s how he found himself in a pub, drinking cheap beer that tasted like piss and looking at the greasy counter, trying to forget everything. What was he going to do now? He wasn’t used to feeling that desperate.

He was definitely going to drink himself into oblivion. Maybe he’ll finally understand the appeal of getting drunk. He almost never did: he liked taking care of his body, of his temple and well, after witnessing how alcohol had reduced Klaus…

Is he ever going to stop thinking about him? Anything and everything would bring him back to that idiot. That beautiful, annoying idiot. He really needed to stop. And if he chose a bar that he knew Klaus used to spend most of his nights in, well… that showed just how much he needed to find a way to forget him.

He heard a loud giggle at the other end of the pub. _And speaking of the devil._

“I thought you were in rehab.”

Klaus twirled on his seat, spilling half of his glass contents and not seeming to mind as soon as he recognised his brother. “Diegooooo!”

The closer he got the redder his eyes looked and Diego felt the old stirrings of anger rise in him, a bitter and unfortunately very familiar feeling that he was used to associate to his brother.

He stopped Klaus before the latter could hug him by taking his jaw in his hand, twisting him around to get a better look at his eyes.

“You’re high.” he stated, roughly releasing him.

“And you’re mean! Is that how you show me how much you’ve missed me? It’s been what, three years?”

“Five.”

“Gosh, that many?” Klaus suddenly looked to his left at something invisible to Diego’s sober eyes and mumbled “I know, I did too.”

Diego took a good look at him and didn’t like what he saw nor how it made him feel. Too thin, too pale, too fidgety and too vacant. His big, green eyes didn’t have any light in them and his poor excuse of clothes appeared to be in dire need of a washing machine.

He was about to voice his deep irritation, but Klaus beat him to it.

“So” Klaus started, trying and failing to conceal his concern “You don’t look so good, brother dear.”

Diego set his jaw. _He_ didn’t look good? Klaus was probably a second away from falling over and never getting up again.

Instead of replying, Diego angrily grabbed Klaus’ drink from his hands ignoring his pathetic whines of protest and set it harshly out of his reach, spilling the remains of the greenish liquid everywhere.

“Hey, hey, hey. There was no need for that, you monster!” Klaus lamented.

“I won’t let you poison yourself right in front of me, Klaus.” he answered roughly through gritted teeth, glaring at this brother enough to stop all his protests.

Klaus huffed, crossing his arms in front of him and stomping his feet. Diego hated how cute he looked.

“What got you so upset!?”

Diego sighed deeply, setting his beer aside – far from Klaus’ reach – having lost all interest in getting hammered.

“Think you were too busy getting high to read Vanya’s book, eh?” he finally got out, voice full of venom.

Klaus lowered his gaze to the counter of the pub, picking on some dirt with his fingers in a very unKlaus gesture of nervousness.

“Oh no, I had the pleasure.” he slurred, looking at him hesitantly. “I didn’t fancy you as the reading type though.”

Diego ignored the quip. “She betrayed us.”

“I didn’t like it either. But the stuff she wrote… it’s just the truth, isn’t it?”

Diego bristled at that, clenching his fists “She wrote about our childhood, about us to make money! She used us! Now everyone knows what happened.”

“I know. I wish she didn’t, but she did.” Klaus whispered in a calm but at the same time nervous tone, and Diego recognized this to be Klaus’ weird way of trying to be diplomatic. Why was he defending her?

Diego knew that he would make a scene if he answered him, so he just focused on regaining some composure.

“Who knew little quiet Vanya had it in her?” Klaus laughed airily causing Diego to explode again.

“I don’t know how you can be so chill about this! Were you high when you read the fucking thing? Do you even know what she wrote about us? About you?”

Klaus patiently waited for him to calm down before saying quietly: “I was sober when I read it, actually. I was in rehab, remember?”

“You should be angry then.”

“Oh, I’ll leave all the anger to you, hermano.”

Klaus had always been way too forgiving while Diego could hold grudges for years. Maybe that’s why he used to like Klaus so much when they were younger. He remembered how Klaus was the only one who would approach him to try and make him feel better after one of his frequent bursts of rage, and he kept doing it even if it got him a few punches.

Much like he was doing now. Diego was suddenly overwhelmed with how much he liked him. _Way too much_ , his unhelpful brain supplied. But he was so pretty, even now with his dishevelled look.

“I left the police academy.” He revealed suddenly, surprising himself as well as Klaus who sat straighter in his chair.

“Oh.” He whispered. “I thought you liked it there.”

Diego didn’t respond, almost regretting telling his brother if it wasn’t for his chest feeling lighter than it had in weeks. Was it the beer?

“It was the right decision, Diego.”

“How can you say that?”

“Because you made it.”

And that naïve but genuine response was enough to tear through years and years of resentment. He looked back in Klaus’ eyes and he didn’t see a junkie, a homeless, a lost brother but he was gazing right back in the same eyes that had helped him through his worst moments in the academy and were part of his best memories.

Diego swallowed nosily when Klaus’ hand found his on the counter, giving it a little squeeze before resting it there, its weight incredibly grounding. Diego leaned on Klaus slightly, hesitantly and his curly headed brother let him, pushing back on him as well in what was probably the most awkward excuse for a hidden hug. Diego could feel Klaus’ shaky breathing and was hit with a sudden need of feeling his breath on his skin one more time, of tasting those sinful lips again. He wondered if they would still feel as soft as they had when he had last kissed him. God, he needed to get a grip on himself, he was starting to lose it.

Suddenly, Klaus changed demeanour going back to be his goofy self to dissolve the atmosphere, probably too intimate for his liking.

“And it would have been so awkward for me, can you imagine? My brother a cop? It’s a good thing we don’t do family reunions!”

Diego hid his laugh behind an irritated snort.

“The corrupt system doesn’t deserve you, man.” Klaus stated sincerely in the end.

Diego felt his eyes began to sting with unshed tears and no, he had already felt enough shame these past weeks, he didn’t need to add _cried in front of my brother_ to the list.

“Where are you staying now? I’ll give you a lift.” he finally whispered, praying that Klaus would ignore the scratchy tone his voice got.

Klaus’ eyes widened and he muttered “Shush, Casper” side eyeing something to his left. He stood on wobbly legs and pulled a face.

“Well… I’m staying at a friend’s house” he stated and started rambling on and on, creating a ridiculous story about this friend of his and Diego could see very well that he was lying. Anyone could have figured it out, he was a terrible liar.

“Alright,” Diego started, stopping Klaus mid-sentence, already knowing he would regret his decision. “You’ll spend the night at my place”

Klaus stared at him for a few moments, surprised at his offer.

“Is that a good idea?” he finally asked, and it looked like he wasn’t necessarily talking to Diego.

“Come on.”

Once they entered the apartment, Klaus flung himself on his sofa with a groan.

“You okay?”

“Peachy” Klaus raised his head from the cushion “Is that your sweetheart, brother mine?” he asked wiggling his eyebrows.

He was pointing to a picture of him and Eudora which he still needed to throw away, not because he was being sentimental – the break up with Eudora was mutual and the resentment behind it still very much present – but simply because he never spent much time in his flat.

“No.” he replied, for some reason he was sheepish of telling Klaus about Eudora, as if he had something to hide to his brother. It wasn’t the case.

“Mh” was Klaus’ only answer, his head again buried in the cushions.

He shifted on the sofa and closed his eyes, sighing contentedly. Was he really thinking that Diego would let him sleep there?

“Come on, hop on the bed Klaus, I’m not carrying you there.” he shouted from his room, preparing the bed with extra blankets, knowing very well how cold Klaus got during the night.

He could picture Klaus’ surprised face very clearly and almost huffed a laugh.

He heard Klaus saunter to his bed and unceremoniously drop on it like a dead weight, what Diego didn’t predict was the hand that shot out to his arm dragging him down on the bed as well.

He found himself on top of Klaus who was repositioning them so that he was clinging to every part of his brother’s body much like a blanket.

“That okay?” he asked and his voice was so soft and hesitant that Diego didn’t have it in him to tell him no.

“’Course” he said instead with half a smile, his hand automatically tangling into those beautiful curls, petting Klaus like it was second nature.

Klaus purred happily, snuggling even more under the covers and fitting his head in the space between Diego’s shoulder and neck. He fell asleep almost immediately, soft breaths tickling Diego’s skin, leaving goosebumps in their wake. Diego was uncomfortably aware of each and every point where his skin was in contact with Klaus’ and he was trying not to enjoy it too much, though he was unceremoniously failing at that, as his traitor growing boner painfully reminded him.

He resisted for a while, busying himself with staring creepily at Klaus, at his translucent skin and long eyelashes, those lips…

The situation was starting to get a bit too painful for his liking so he tried to untangle himself from Klaus’ grip without waking his brother but Klaus’ bright eyes opened slowly the moment he lifted his arms from their embrace.

“Where are you…”

Klaus was staring at him groggily, his voice barely above a whisper and his tired eyes were having trouble staying open. Diego had to put all his strength into suppressing a loud and very uncharacteristic _Awwr_ as well as his need to just kiss him senseless.

Klaus had always been very slow to wake up so Diego could have probably succeeded in running away from the bed without him seeing his very evident arousal, but again Diego was stupid and way too focused on the beautiful creature in front of him to react quick enough.

As a matter of fact, Klaus had all the time in the world to gather his surroundings and realize his brother’s predicament. He smiled a small (self-satisfied?) smile that flustered Diego even more. But as soon as Klaus’ eyes caught his gaze again he was transported in a land where only the two of them existed, without any other problem - drugs, academies, the book, the past - only them.

They were impossibly close, he could feel Klaus’ breath on his lips, he only had to move a bit forward and they would finally be one again.

“I should go.” Klaus interrupted closing his eyes as if what he said was physically hurting him.

“You c-could stay.” Diego offered, not used to let himself be this vulnerable, completely at someone else’s mercy.

“It wouldn’t work. You know it.” he whispered.

_Let’s try anyway_ he wanted to tell him, desperately. _I don’t care if we fuck it up_. But he remained silent and Klaus got up from the bed.

He left.


	2. Staying

**2019**

Another five years.

That’s how long he had to wait to see him again.

Who is he kidding? Klaus saw him before this shit-show several times. But they never acknowledged it. Never spoke to each other. Probably too afraid to ruin whatever truce they had after that night. Klaus had never been ashamed to call himself a coward, after all. It was probably the reason he was still alive.

Still, he would have preferred to talk to his brother on a different occasion. Rather, in a different place. Anywhere but _here_.

But here they were. Klaus was in the alley beside the household, going through the ornate box he managed to steal from his father’s office.

“Please let there be money” he whispered to himself and to Ben who was shaking his hooded head disapprovingly, or was it just a tick he had? He did it so often, it was hard to tell.

Unfortunately in the box there were only documents and that retched notebook that he was only too happy to throw away.

“What do you say, Benny boy? Must be worth something!” he mumbled, inspecting the box more closely.

“You know you don’t have to do this.” Ben avoided his question, looking at him right in the eyes. “You’ve been clean for two weeks now.”

“And it’s been awful. A total disaster. I need my fix.” he sighed loudly, letting his body dramatically fall against the garbage cans with his hand on his forehead.

Predictably Ben shook his head again and Klaus gave him a small guilty smile. He had tried to get clean for real this time, but it never stuck. The voices were so loud and, surprisingly, going back to the academy hadn’t helped at all with his good propositions, even if he had only stayed for less than an hour. That house gave him the creeps.

“You don’t have to do this alone, Klaus. You could ask for help.” Ben insisted.

“To whom? Luther?” he quipped back bitterly. “He’s probably too busy trying to get in Allison’s knickers anyway.”

“Ugh.” Ben shuddered, making Klaus laugh breathily.

Then he saw him, just for a few seconds.

Diego was walking towards the entrance of the academy, he couldn’t see Klaus from he was hidden behind the garbage can but the Séance had a very clear view of his brother. And he still was everything Klaus had ever wanted and more. A fucking wet dream in black leather and sharp knives.

“He could help you.” Ben said, taking advantage of his weak point. “He’s one of the reasons that got you sober in the first place, isn’t he?”

Klaus begged to differ. An overdose too much had done it. It had been a _very_ close call. How he had managed to survive it was still behind him.

But in a certain way it was down to Diego if had decided to finally get sober for once. It was one of the few occasions where Klaus had been the only one to spot Diego, the latter being completely unaware of his presence.

They were in a club and Klaus had found his brother in a very compromising position with a girl. He had run away before Diego could realize he was ever there. The combination of jealousy and a bad trip had turned his thoughts in a dark and loud mess, too deafening to be ignored like he usually did.

He had been so distraught by that, finally admitting to himself and to Ben that he was completely in love with his brother, had been for a very long time, at the same time realizing that his love will always be unrequited. 

_“How could you know for sure?” Ben had asked him._

_“Have seen him now? He would never choose me over a normal lover, one that doesn’t have all the problems that I have!”_

_“You can’t know who he’d choose if you don’t let him know that you’re a choice in the first place!”_

Ben had been right at the time but the desperation in him was so overwhelming, the fear of being forgotten, left alone to rot, was enough to crush him. He heard voices in head telling him how much of a failure he was, and maybe, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if took a pill too many. Maybe it would be best if he just ended it.

Waking up to Ben crying his eyes out, begging him to never do it again, well that had been something else.

The other times he had overdosed, Ben had only offered him a sad smile.

He was never going to make Ben cry again. That was the main reason that had brought Klaus to quit drugs.

He threw the box away, ignoring Ben’s quiet “Oh, thank God” and slowly climbed back up the fire escape looking for a distraction.

Time to steal some clothes from his favourite sister!

He had missed wearing skirts. It felt so gooooood. He swished around the kitchen, feeling the texture around his legs move in the air. Lovely.

“You could go find him.” Ben was being particularly insisting today. Klaus side eyed him.

“Nah, he’ll find me if he wants to.”

Ben had witnessed Klaus’ pining for Diego since their teenage years, before his death and – Klaus knew first-hand – he had always found it incredibly entertaining.

“You two are such idiots. Why can’t you just tell him how you feel?”

Klaus opened the cabinets, looking for a small snack. “Well, Benerino, I’ve already told you, haven’t I? He wouldn’t want to stay with a drug addict. He’s a freaking vigilante, it would be counterproductive!” he replied, going for his most careless tone.

“But you _are_ getting sober.”

“How long will it last?” he mumbled, hiding his dejected face inside the fridge. He grabbed the butter after a few seconds of fake rummaging, hoping that Ben would just leave it but of course, he found himself staring straight in his dead brother’s eyes as soon as he closed the fridge.

“You are doing very well, Klaus. Seriously. Stop being so hard on yourself.”

He was saved from the sudden Feelings Party by the sound of heavy footsteps approaching the kitchen. Ben looked through the door informing him it was Diego.

“Told you he’d find me.” Klaus whispered with a wink and confidence that he really didn’t feel at all, going back to pretend he was looking for something in the kitchen, his back to the door.

He could hear Diego entering the room and stopping there for a too long moment. Klaus grinned, still not turning to face him.

“If you keep undressing me with your eyes like that, I might catch a cold.” he finally said while bending down to pick up a strategically dropped fork, giving Diego a full view of his ass.

Diego loudly cleared his throat and when Klaus faced him, he could see just how flustered he was. Bingo!

“I didn’t think you would come?” Diego drawled out, scratching his neck awkwardly.

“Why would I miss such a lovely family reunion?” he approached him, making sure that his skirt swished around him.

Diego got even redder than before and Klaus wondered if it was possible to get high from this giddy feeling that was growing in his chest the longer he stayed with him.

“I” Diego stopped himself for a second, visibly trying to suppress a stutter “I am happy you’re here.”

Klaus smiled wider, feeling warmer and happier than he had in years “Are you now?”

Diego stepped towards him to get a better view of him, frowning slightly “Are you high?”

And just like that the dream was over, Klaus felt his smile falter slightly so he twirled away from Diego, trying to keep his voice from giving anything away. “What? Did you expect me to be sober for dear dad’s funeral?”

Ben groaned loudly. “Why, Klaus? Just tell him the truth!”

Diego sighed at the same time, grabbing Klaus’ arm firmly, but before he could say anything Klaus giggled airily: “Look, I don’t know about you but I’m going to honour the old man’s memory by raiding his cabinet.”

He slithered away from Diego’s hold, ignoring both Diego’s protests and Ben’s insults.

He didn’t raid the cabinet. He sat in his old bedroom until Luther called him to discuss the funeral with the others, thinking about all the times Diego had snuck in his room when they were kids, holding his hand through a nightmare; and later, when they got older, how he got his first kiss from him right under the window.

He wished for things to be as easy as they had been in the past.

Now he knew he had too much to loose. It was better if no one had any expectations of him, he wouldn’t end up disappointing them. Because he was going to crack at some point, wasn’t he? Back in the alleys, needle in his arm, no ghosts around, bottles in his pockets and nothing in his mind. Why give Diego any false hope? He deserved a lot better than anything Klaus could ever give him, anyway.

Klaus was going to fail as always.

***

Diego’s fight with Luther was nothing new. Everyone was kind of expecting it.

Klaus crouched down in the mud to extinguish the cigarette in his father’s ashes. He smiled bitterly. He was way too sober for this.

His heart was still beating fast from the scare of Five’s return. For a moment he honestly thought he was seeing his little brother’s ghost. When he realized the others could see him as well, his relief had been so great that he felt like falling on the ground and cry happy tears.

“Klaus. What are you doing?”

Klaus looked up at Diego who helped him stand on his feet.

Diego sighed. “Come on. You’ll freeze out here.”

With his hand clutching Klaus’ arms he was escorted inside the house. He did feel quite cold, he realized, looking at his traitor body shivering.

“Are you trying to come down with pneumonia or something? You need warmer clothes, it’s winter for fuck’s sake.” Diego growled, holding him close, rubbing his arms and his back with those big hands of his.

Klaus was starting to warm up a bit too quickly down there. The skirt certainly didn’t help hiding anything so he reluctantly got out of Diego’s embrace before he popped a boner right there and giggled. “Thought you liked me in a skirt.”

Unexpectedly, Diego eyed him down with a small smirk of his own, his eyes darkening a bit as they roamed up and down Klaus’ body. “Oh, I do.”

O-kay. That was something else. For the first time in… no idea how long, Klaus was left speechless. Mind blank. No signal. 404 Not Found.

“Here, take this.” Diego handed him his black sweater and helped him put it on.

He could feel his cheeks burning and Diego’s easy laughter made him warmer than any sweater ever could.

Before he could do or say anything (seriously brain, get a grip), Diego took his jaw in his hand, raising his chin delicately, looking at him right in the eyes. He leaned towards him so that they were a breath away from each other.

“I missed you.” He whispered, not once drawing his gaze away from him, his low voice doing funny things to his body. Klaus held his breath as Diego leaned forward again, millimetres away from his mouth and…

He smirked, his eyes glinting with cruel amusement and released him, walking out of the room like nothing happened.

Klaus was left there, panting, still too out of it to understand what had actually happened.

“YOU BASTARD” he yelled when Diego was long gone, Ben’s snickers haunting him mercilessly.

***

“Just tell him how you _feel_ , Klaus” Ben repeated for what felt like the hundredth time that day “You were seconds away from shagging at the academy, anyway.”

“I don’t want to screw things up with him. I can’t.” Klaus whined, still a bit shaken from the reminder of _that_.

“I swear you’re both idiots. Two pining idiots.”

Ben’s mumbling was cut short by Diego getting back in the car, shutting the door loudly.

“So” Klaus leaned forward, his hands brushing Diego’s shoulders “We’ve decided for, drum roll… waffles!”

Diego didn’t react at all, leaving Klaus slightly worried. Diego was always brooding, but he was rarely a quiet guy.

“What’s goi…” Klaus started only to be interrupted by Diego himself.

“How long have you been sober?”

Klaus recognized that Diego was using his detective voice, which would have turned him on on any other occasion were it not for the fact that Klaus was currently too busy opening and closing his mouth like a fish.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about” he giggled airily, his laugh sounding fake even to his own ears.

“You really thought I wouldn’t notice?” Diego looked at him through the mirror and Klaus felt incredibly vulnerable under that gaze. “How long, Klaus?”

Klaus threw his arms in the air in defeat, he really didn’t want to have this conversation. “It’s… not what you think, Diego… it’s…”

“Klaus.” Diego’s voice was threatening.

“Two weeks. Barely.”

Diego’s eyes widened “Are you still going through withdrawal?”

“No, I… well yes, but the worst has passed already so…”

Diego got out of the car, yanking his door open and grabbing him, roughly manhandling him out of the vehicle.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he sounded so incredibly angry, and all Klaus wanted to do was run away from this.

“I didn’t want to- to disappoint you, I-I’m not sure I can s-stay this way.”

“You, idiot.” Diego growled, and okay now Klaus really was going to break down and cry like a baby.

“I…”

Before he could explain himself, try to find an excuse for Diego not to be so angry with him, his brother lunged forward enclosing him in a too tight embracing, holding onto him like his life depended on it.

“You can never disappoint me, you hear me?” he still sounded angry but Klaus was too preoccupied enjoying the sweet embrace to really function.

“Wait, what?” he mumbled confused, taking in his words.

“How can you think you could ever be able to disappoint me when you’re trying to get better?” Diego’s hand found his way to Klaus’ hair, resting there through his curls. Klaus almost whimpered at the show of affection.

“I’m not leaving you alone through this. Whether you like or not, you’re stuck with me, Klaus.” Diego leaned back and Klaus whined at the loss of contact, only to feel those strong hands holding him on his arms, keeping him in place, his brother’s dark eyes pinning him down, promising “I’ll help you.”

Then more quietly “Let me help you, please.”

Klaus barely got out an “Okay” when Diego leaned back into him, carefully bringing their lips together.

The touch was soft, attentive and extremely quick. Klaus gazed in Diego’s eyes again, finding another question there, they were asking for permission and it was honestly such bullshit, as if Klaus was ever going to deny him anything.

Klaus threw himself at Diego, kissing him like he had wanted to do for so many years, loosing himself in those full lips. His arms found their way to Diego’s neck and short hair, while Diego’s wound themselves around his waist.

They stayed there for what felt like hours on end, kissing, touching, hugging. Then, Diego convinced him to get back to his car, his hand firmly holding his. Klaus was so happy he could cry.

“Are we going to get those waffles now?” Klaus smiled, as Diego started the car.

“I’m giving you a lift back to my place. You can stay there and eat something, I’ll be back in a few hours.”

“You’re not coming with me?” Klaus asked in a small voice.

“No, I’m going back to work. But I’ll be back for you, you just have to wait for me.”

“Work? What, breaking bones and cracking skulls?”

“Saving lives, baby” Diego grinned and Klaus’ heart faltered a beat.

“Do you at least have waffles at home?”

His silence was answer enough and he stomped his feet “Oh, I really craved them.”

Diego laughed “I’ll bring you back some.”

“You sure about this?” he asked as they entered the boiler room of the gym. Klaus was still feeling too vulnerable for his own liking. He didn’t know what to do with all the trust that Diego was giving him like it cost nothing. Like he had reasons to believe in Klaus, to trust him at all.

“’Course I am.”

And just like that, he left Klaus alone in the boiler room.

He stood there for a long time, panicking silently. What could he do with all that trust?

He found Diego’s hiding place for money after five minutes. He found other pawnable objects in less than ten minutes. In seconds he held all the goods in his hands, climbed the stairs and stopped in front of the door, clenching the handle.

Ben had already disappeared shaking his head as soon as he began looking for money. He was alone now. His choice. His decision.

He wasn’t holding Diego’s money in his hands anymore, he was holding his trust.

He didn’t know how long he spent in front of the door, not moving. But he knew the answer to his question clear as day. There was no choice to make. He only ever had one option.

He put back the money and the objects, taking care of resetting them back exactly as they were.

He laid back on the bed, resting his head on the pillow.

He stayed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there it is! Hope you liked it! 😊 Come find me on tumblr (wanderer-451.tumblr.com)

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked it 😊 come find me on tumbrl (http://wanderer-451.tumblr.com/)


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